Garmin aera 760 aviation GPS - in-flight product review

[@LesOReilly]

This is not a Review.....This is a Commercial. This is like trying to sell me a Garmin Portable GPS for my Car.......The iPhone and iPad has given us a platform that has far superior processing capability than this "dedicated" device.. This thing is $1600 US!!!! An iPad Mini with Cellular and GPS is.....$529.00 US for 64GB or $679.00 for the 256GB...The Area 760 has no listing for any hardware specs including storage.... This product has a 7 inch screen with a 800x480 TFT ..... A new iPad Mini has a 2048x1536 LED screen with a 1.8% reflectivity -- There is no way that Garmin device has a 1.8% reflectivity and in fact they don't even list a test result for this. The iPad has over DOUBLE the battery life of this product. Okay now for the usability aspect... you mention flight planning? So how do i Build and then "file" my flight plan with this device? With an iPad I can use it to file a flight plan that I built that I can then transfer to the panel as well. Maybe this seems like a bit of a hard approach but It just irks me that Sporty's likes to position it's self as what appears to be "semi-neutral" review that is offering up impartial information.....But your not. You present this in a manner and only ever "compare" it in a way that makes it look like you were trying to be impartial but you were really just making an advertisement for this product which you want people to buy from you. Why is it that in all of your Pilot Reports....Saturday 5 Tips and "ipad apps" you never ever seem to give a solid offering to Fltplan GO? They offer a product that I can use as an EFB on the iPad from start to finish without the need for a subscription....EVER!!! Now Garmin owns them and that could change in the future. However you only ever talk about GP or FF. Now moving on -- Even if one was to ignore FltPLAN GO and use say and iPad with Foreflight that would still be a much much better solution than what you are suggesting. This is a product that much like the "dedicated" Car GPS is blown out of price. Oh and that "SD" card that plugs into the 650 is $1500 us....so to use this to transfer to a 650 you have to buy at $1500 "license" again those wifi SD cards were sold for Cameras for about 100 bucks. As hard as I try I can not even find what the cost is to purchase a database subscription. If one wants to use this as the EFB IFR flight bag then the 1 time $150 dollar updates don't work. You need to keep up with the cycles. It is clear this is hardware based on generations from years gone by tech. It can't compete with the power of a current iPad yet it is 3x the price and you still have to buy databases to stay current....... This is not a Review.....This is a Commercial.

[@alkohl4383]

Good analysis.. could not agree more !!

[@jeffreyslutz]

Agreed. The portables are dead. The iPads with FF or Garmin Pilot killed them.

[@leosee7588]

Yes M.O’Reilly I’m agree with you, IPad it’s much more better than Garmin, FltPlan go and foreflight are perfect. I use iPad 👍👍👍👍

[@cirruscapo]

With that price of $1500 you shouldn't have to pay for the additional update subscription...

[@leosee7588]

Garmin are greedy 🤔

[@savagecub]

You’re wearing that harness WAY TOO HIGH ! Any kind of impact with that buckle up that high would guarantee internal organ damage.

[@KB4QAA]

I think the biggest failing is that the 760 is not a complete navigation and planning device. The inability to file FAA flight plans is Garmin shooting itself in the foot. You still have to carry another device to file flight plans and then you must enter the flight plan again into the 760. Fail.

[@MikePonsAmerica1st]

You call this a review? Better yet this a video sales pamphlet without the video. What a wast of time. I'd like to SEE a demonstration on what makes this unique not told. Glare and size is a unique problem on tablets. I'd pull the video and start over.

[@DmitriMogiliver]

Where is the value proposition here? Am I missing something? I can buy two iPad devices for the price of Area 760 and always have a hot stand by in case the primary device dies. What am I missing?

[@itson2912]

Notice how Sportys only replies to questions and does not counter anyone’s assertions? Honestly, Sportys used to be a decent business but they have become nothing more than another pilot crap peddler. I recently called them out for false advertising and showed them proof...they continue to falsely advertise the same product. They are flat out lying. Used to be decent place, now....not so much.

[@titanhank1]

WARNING!!! The aera 760 will NOT send flight plan info to a garmin 430w/530w via serial cable. I have just spent a week on the phone with garmin tech support resolving this issue. They finally determined it will not work as advertised and are in the process of changing their worldwide marketing info for the aera 760. It is still a great unit, but it will only receive flight plan info via serial connection with mapmx protocols. The gns 430w series unit do not have mapmx on the in side of any serial port connection. Garmin is working on a way to make it right with me personally, but it will not be advertised in the future for having bi-directional flight plan transfer capabilities for legacy gns series navigators.

[@sheriftaher]

Quite honestly I've been trying to understand the value that the 760 can add in my cockpit. I currently have a single G3X 10" (I'm splurging, I know) and I was looking to add a second screen for more awareness/backup. I'm currently using an iPad mini mounted on my yoke. I understand it's more rugged but the price is way too high, and at this resolution/screen size reading IFR charts will require some panning, zoom or manual action, you don't get the crisp details of the whole chart. I think if Garmin reduces the bezel size, ups up the resolution to match the iPad, I may buy this product for $900 to replace my panel mounted 696. I always get the feeling that avionics vendors charge a lot of $$$ just because, they compare it to expensive avionics, ooooh look at how much this is compared to a 2nd 7" G3X that sells for $4500

[@in2flying]

Genuine question here. What can I do with this that I can't with FF and Stratus? For 60% less money nevertheless. Thanks for your efforts just the same.

[@sportyspilotshop]

You're paying for the dedicated device, no doubt. Built in battery, GPS, AHRS make it a better standalone device for backup - if everything quits, the 760 would be a great insurance policy. It also connects to more Garmin avionics than an iPad with ForeFlight, including G3X, autopilots, and radios. Finally, we thought the screen was slightly better in sun and will be a little less susceptible to overheating than an iPad. We love iPads and ForeFlight and Stratus and all those devices, and as we say in the video, we aren't getting rid of those. But not everyone does, and for someone who prefers a dedicated aviation device or who wants to build it into the panel, the 760 will find a niche.

[@in2flying]

I appreciate your videos just the same even though this seems like a dud to me from Garmin. I'll still buy their stock though lol. Thanks Sportys!

[@jeffreyslutz]

They are sturdier if you drop them on the asphalt. 🤔

[@muhammadsteinberg]

Hmm, let me see...Keep using my android w/garmin pilot + GDL 50 or take $1500.00 out of my panel upgrade savings to get something I already have. Decisions, decisions...So hard to decide! 🤔🤔🤔

[@patrickmorrissey8754]

Sporty: Nice product, but not at $1500.00! Foreflight subscription and an IPad with GPS work just fine. Patrick from Albuquerque

[@jaredchursinoff5329]

Because iPad works so well in -20. Not. Shutdown. I have seen in remote northern locations these iPads fail. I have used Garmin 200 to 700 series and never had any issues. I'm not a fan being forced to pay a subscription to ForePlay.

[@louissanderson719]

@@jaredchursinoff5329 the majority of pilots, or people for that matter, are not using iPads in those temperatures… what a stupid comparison

[@pittshopesp3064]

What about screen visibility? With a mini iPad?night ok but day impossible

[@JoeCoolPilot]

You show a bunch of canned screenshots from a sales brochure.... sheesh. I wanted to see the unit in operation during the flight.

[@sportyspilotshop]

Almost all of those screenshots were taken on this test flight. The 760 has a built-in screenshot tool.

[@jp4163]

I have an Aera 660. I love it ...........but.............I have to connect it to my flightstream EVERYTIME I start my plane even though it has autoconnect enabled. It is very annoying. Is this going to get fixed anytime soon????!!

[@AV8R_1]

What can you do with it that you can’t do with an iPad and foreflight?

[@sportyspilotshop]

The biggest difference is a built-in AHRS for attitude and a more rugged case and lower glare screen.

[@Marauder92V]

Does it have the checklist capability that Garmin Pilot has? Also, are the flight logs transferable to my FlyGarmin site?

[@nurrishs]

If I have a G3X, but no Navigator installed, could I add this to practice GPS instrument approaches? I'm studying for my instrument rating and it would be great to be able to use this for practice (i.e.: can I send approaches to the G3X, coupled to the autopilot) in my own aircraft (vs. I have to rent an IFR aircraft for training)?

[@antonionuzzi7911]

HI! Can you load som kml route on this device and can pilot follow that route when airplane is in fly?

[@JosephHHHo]

I have a matte finish screen protector on my iPad.... Pretty happy for now

[@carpenterfamily6198]

The video didn’t say it, but I assume you could connect it to a GDL 39 ?

[@sportyspilotshop]

Yes it will.

[@carpenterfamily6198]

Did I hear the 760 only allows one Bluetooth connection where as the 660 allowed two ?

[@sportyspilotshop]

According to the Garmin manual, only one Bluetooth connection at a time.

[@pilotkopter2086]

Does it has the south americas data base?

[@mh1972ga]

Will it connect to flight simulators like the Garmin Pilot app?

[@sportyspilotshop]

No, we're not familiar with any way of doing that.

[@alim10004]

I already have ADS-B in/ out. I want to use XM weather only on this device Can i use one of the GDL products and use XM from that ? I have a Garmin 696 stand-alone with its own XM antenna. Looking to replace that.

[@sportyspilotshop]

Yes, you can use just SiriusXM on this. The GXM 42 antenna works with it.

[@cfreeland1360]

The archives heal of the iPad is the screen glare. Until that’s fixed there will always be a p,ace for these in the panel.

[@RonMarish]

When paired with a flightstream that has air data, will this show airspeed or just gps groundspeed?

[@sportyspilotshop]

The aera 760 currently only shows groundspeed (and GPS altitude as an analog) in this instance. But we'll pass on that idea.